Electric switch



Aug. 20, 1940.

E. O. H. HANSSON ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed June 5, 1937 .//a Z X XNVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 1940 PATENT OFFICE 2,211,815 ELECTRIC swrrcn Erik Oskar Helge Hansson, Stockholm, Sweden, assignor to Electrolux Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application June 5, 1937, Serial No. 146,619

2 Claims.

My invention relates to an electric switch and more particularly to a switch adapted especially for operation by the foot of the operator. One of the objects of my invention is to provide a 5 switch of this type including a housing in which is mounted standard switch mechanism. Preferably, the housing of the switch in accordance with my invention comprises two parts, to one of which maybe secured the aforesaid switch mech- 10 anism, the other part of the housing serving merely to provide an enclosure along with the first mentioned part.

Still another object of my invention is to pro- ;vide a switch which has an actuating member ar- 15 ranged to be forced inwardly, especially by foot pressure, to actuate the switch mechanism, the construction being such that excessive foot pressure cannot be transmitted to the switch mechanism, but will be taken entirely by a stationary 90 'part or parts which may be readily constructed of suflicient strength to withstand such pressure without injury.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following descrip- 25 tion considered in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of the specification and of which: Fig. 1 is a side view, partially in cross-section, showing my improved switch with one of the parts 30 of the housing removed; I

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l;

35 Fig. 4 is a-cross-sectional view, on a reduced scale, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. l; and Fig. 5 is an elevational view, on a reduced scale, of the portion of the housing which is not shown i Fig. 1. 40 Referring to the drawing, reference character l designates generally a housing which includes separable parts H and i2. .Partll has a face l3 which mates with a similar face l4 formed on part l2. The two parts are secured together 4; by a plurality of bolts l which pass therethrough.

The housing as a whole is formed with two interior communicating recesses l6 and I1. Both of these recesses are formed in both of the parts 50 II and I2 of the housing. Mounted in recess I6 is a switch mechanism I3 which includes a substantially rectangular frame made up of an L- shape piece of insulating material l9 and an L-shape piece of metal 20. Insulating material 55 I9 may be laminated, as shown, and piece 20 is U-shaped in cross-section, as is seen in Fig. 4, so as to embrace both sides of piece l3. Pieces l9 and 20 are secured together by means of bolts 2| extending therethrough. Bolts 2| also extend 50 through part II of the housing, as shown in Fig.

4, so as to securely fasten the frame in the recess. While separate bolts might be employed to secure the frame to the housing, certain advantages are obtained from the construction shown. It will be noted that bolts 2| engage diagonally opposite I corners of the rectangular frame and hence the force exerted by the bolts is evenly distributed over the frame. If separate bolts were used, they would have to be located elsewhere. As it is desirable that the bolts engage the metal part 10 20, it will be seen that no other location would give as equal force distribution.

Secured to one side of frame part I9 adjacent to the angle thereof, is a switch contact member 22. A similar contact member 23 is secured to the other side of the frame part I9. The horizontal leg of part I9 is formed as a track 24 on which runs a metallic flanged roller 25 which constitutes the member for making and breaking the circuit between the members 22 and 23. In the position of the switch shown in Fig. 1, roller is out of contact with members 22 and 23 and consequently the switch is open. However, when the roller travels to the other end of track 24 it contacts both members 22 and 23, thereby 25 closing the circuit between them.

Member 25 is held against the track by means of a member 26, preferably made of insulating material which constitutes one arm of a toggle mechanism, the other arm of which is designated 80 by reference character 21 and is pivotedin frame part 20 by a pin 28. One end of arm 21 is'formed with a pin 29 which slides in a slot 30 formed in arm 26. A spring 3| is compressed between a shoulder 32 formed on arm 25 and the pin 23. 35 Spring 3| tends to maintain the toggle mechanism in one or the other of its extreme positions.

The switch mechanism 13, including the rectangular frame 13, 20, the contacts 22 and 23 and the toggle mechanism 25-32 is of standard 0 design, and forms per se no part of my invention.

Connected to or integral with switch contact 22 is an arm 35 which extends downwardly through an opening 36 formed in'part l2 of the i housing. The lower end of arm 35 is provided ,with a binding screw 31 to which may be' attached an electric .conductor in the form of a wire. Attached to or integral with switch contact 23 is an arm 33 which extends around the edge of frame part l9 and hence upwardly along this edge. Secured to the upper end of arm 38 is a contact prong 39 which extends to the exterior of housing Ill through an opening 40 formed partly in both halves of the housing.

The lower part of housing It is formed with a recess 4| in which is secured an arm 42 by means of a bolt 43 extending through the wall of the housing. To one end of this arm is secured a contact prong 44 which extends through an opening 45 to the exterior of the switch housing;- this an 21. it is necessary for arm 56 to pivot slightly around,

opening likewise being formed in both parts of the housing. The other end of arm 42 extends to a notch 46 formed in the bottom of part II of the housing and is there provided with a binding screw 41 similar to binding screw 31 but being located on the opposite side of the center line of the housing.

The recess formed in the upper portion of housing parts II and I2 is generally cylindrical in shape and is provided with diametrically op posed rectangular grooves 50. Reciprocably mounted in recess 11 is a hollow button 5| formed with diametrically opposed projections 52 which are adapted to slide within grooves 50. Thus, rotation of the button is prevented and, inasmuch as the grooves 50 are closed at the top, removal of the button is also prevented. The switch housing is formed with an opening 53 through which the upper part of button 5| projects so as to be accessible for operation by the foot.

The upper part of the interior of button 5| is formed with a groove 54 within which is received a pin 55. Pin 55 extends through an opening formed in the upper end of an arm 56, this upper end being received in a groove 51 in the button which extends at right angles to groove 54. By virtue of its being received in groove 51 axial displacement of arm 56 along pin 55 is prevented. Arm 56 is formed with a pair of ears 58 extending at right angles to the main portion of the arm. A ring 59 is forced against ears 58 by means of a spring 60, the lower end of which abuts against the bottom of recess Spring 50, by forcing ring 59 against both of the ears 58 not only tends to maintain the arm 56 in a vertical position as shown in Fig. 1, but it also tends to hold button 5| in projected position. Also, the spring holds pin 55 within groove 54.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, downward movement of button 5| causes the lower end of arm 56 to press against the bottom of a recess 64 formed in the upper end of arm In order to reach the bottom of the recess pin 55, which it may do by displacement of one side of ring 59 against the force of spring 50. Continued downward movement of the button 5| and the arm 56 carried thereby, tends to rotate arm 51 in a clock-wise direction (as viewed in Fig. 1) about pivot 28 and against the force exerted by spring 3|. Such rotation of arm 21 tends to straighten out the toggle and after the arms 26 and 21 have passed their dead center position, the spring 3| will continue the movement of the toggle and will cause the roller 25 to travel along the track 24 until it strikes the switch contacts 22 and 23. As above described, the circuit of the switch is now closed and contact prong 39 is now connected electrically with binding screw 31.

Due to the loose connection between arms 2" and 56, the spring 3| is able to snap the toggle mechanism to its extreme position, after the mechanism has passed dead center, without regard to the speed of travel of arm 56.

Moreover, the parts are so proportioned that when button 5| strikes the bottom of recess H, the lower end of arm 56 is spaced more or less from the bottom of recess 64. Consequently, no matter how muchforce is applied to the upper end of the button, only sumcient force to actuate the toggle is transmitted to the toggle mechanism. The remaining force is transmitted directly to the switch housing, whereby the switch mechanism is protected against injury resulting from the use of excessive force.

After the above described operation has been completed and the force relieved from button 5|, spring 60 returns the button to its uppermost position and centers arm 58. The recess 65 on the other side of arm 26 is now underneath the lower end of arm 56 and the next reciprocation of button 5| will serve to return the parts to the position shown in Fig. 1.

Switch housing I is made of suitable rigid insulating material, such as Bakelite. This housing may be enclosed within a shell 66 which may be secured to the device on which the switch is mounted. A shown, a screw 61 secures a portion of the shell 66 to a member 68 which is attached to housing 69 of, for instance, a vacuum cleaner.

It will be noted that no special means are required to secure button within the housing It. The button may be placed in the portion of the recess I! which is formed in housing part II before the two parts are secured together and when the parts are secured together the button is retained within the now complete recess.

While I have described one more or less specific embodiment of my invention it is to be understood that this has been done for the purpose of illustration only, as required by the patent statutes, and that the scope of my invention is not to be limited thereby, but is to be determined by the appended claims when viewed in the light of the prior art.

What I claim is:

1. An electric switch comprising a housing having two interior communicating recesses, switch mechanism secured in one of said recesses including a frame and a switch arm pivotally mounted on said frame, a hollow button located in the other of said recesses and extending to the exterior of said housing, an arm having a pair of ears loosely carried in a groove in said button and adapted to engage said switch arm upon downward movement of said button, a pin passing through said last-named arm and loosely carried in a groove in said button extending at right angles to said arm, a washer engaging the ears of said last-named arm and said pin, a wall between the two recesses of said housing, and a spring engaging said washer and said wall urging said button upwardly and holding said lastnamed arm in line withthe axis of said button.

2. An electric switch comprising a housing having two interior communicating recesses, switch mechanism secured in one of said recesses including a frame and a switch arm pivotally mounted on said frame, a hollow button located in the other of said recesses and extending to the exterior of said housing, projections from said button engaging in notches in said housing and stopping upward movement of said button, an arm having a pair of ears loosely carried in a groove in said button and adapted to engage said switch arm upon downward movement of said button, a pin passing through said last-named arm and loosely carried in a groove in said button extending at right angles to said arm, a washer engaging the ears of said last-named arm and said pin, a wall located between the two recesses of said housing, and a spring engaging said washer and said wall biasing said last-named arm to a vertical position in line with the axis of said button and urging said button upwardly.

ERIK OSKAR HELGE HANSSON. 

